Knee-guard.



H. R. HART.

KNEE GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED uomo, 191s.

Patented Apr. 14, 1914.

II-*LTJ l l Il HENRY RIDG-EWAY HART, OF IVION'ICLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO A. G. SPALD- ING & BROS., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

KNEE-GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented ADL 14; 1914.

Application led October 20, 1913. Serial N o. 796,099.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, HENRY RIDGEWAY HART, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Montclair, in the county of Essex,gin the `State of New Jersey, have invented certain `new and useful Improvements in Knee-Guards, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,1forming a part hereof. Y

This invention relates to knee-guards intended primarily for use by athletes in active competition and has for lits principal object to embody in a single unitary structure a guard which shall include securing means, such as elastic bandages which also furnish support for injured muscles and strong padded frames to protect the knee from further abrasion or injury through blows. j

In accordance with the invention there are preferably provided two elastic bandages encompassing the leg above and below the knee respectively, frame members disposed on opposite sides of the leg and pivotally connected on a line substantially coincident with the axis of the knee joint, and protective frames or frame members padded to absorb the shock of blows thereon.

rl`he invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a view in side elevation of a knee-guard embodying the present improvements. Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation thereof. Fig. 8 is a view in rear elevation of the improved guard. Fig. 4 is a sectional view 0f the lower portion of the guard taken on the plane indicated by the line 4 4 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the lower portion of the guard takenon the plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

While the invention has been illustrated herein and is described 4throughout as an improved knee-guard, it will be understood that other applications of the structure lie within the scope of the inventionand that the guard may be adapted for use elsewhere on the body wherever the contiguous parts are constantly changing their angular relation to each other, as at the elbow.

`strips a2 and o? of relatively strong iiexible material, such as leather, buckskin, etc. These strips a2 and b2, by reason of their disposition with respect to the bandages a and and the frames a and b, constitute secure connections, but at the same time permit such relative yielding movement between the bandages and the frame members as is necessary to insure the greatest benefits from the use of the guard. Instead of passing the strips a2 and b2 over the frames a and b respectively and securing their edges throughout their length to the bandage, it is obvious that each strip may be suiiiciently wide to incase completely its frame member, and the meeting edges may then be secured to the bandages along a single line, preferably as far forward on the bandage as possible so as to insure a maximum gripping surface of bandage in contact with the rear portion of the leg to hold the frames in position.

Since the upper and lower portions of the guard are of the same construction, it will be sufficient to describe the protective frame of the lower portion of the guard, shown in section in Figs. l and 5. This guard has riveted securely to the side members a and b adjacent theirupper and lower` ends, as at Z and e, suitable bowed strips Z and e, also preferably of thin steel, each extending diagonally across the front portion of the elastic bandage b and crossing the other strip and secured thereto at substantially its midpoint by a rivet 7. These diagonal strips d and e extending around the forward part of the leg in the manner described would themselves constitute adequate protection' against blows which might injure the protected joint or the muscles supported by the elastic bandage b, but in order to cushion these blows it has been found desirable in practice to secure to these diagonal strips a ioning portion g thereof on the inner side of the frame formed by these strips and securing thereto a corresponding facing strip g Y disposed on the outer side of said frame. In this way, in eiicect, the diagonal strips Zand c pass through the pad formed by the cush-V ion g and the strip g and the latteris held securely in place and by reason of its dis- Y position serves to absorb the shock of blows which might otherwise injure the parts supported by the elastic bandage b and protected by the metal frame hereinbefore described.

While the guard thus iar described is entirely adequate to afford the protection desired and will maintain its position on a leg which is embraced snugly yIoy the bandage and by the bowed frame members it'has been found that if the same guard is used on smaller legs the bandage is apt to permit slipping, especially as the ends of the bowed strips d and e do not engage the leg, but project outwardly on each side and are subject to blows and twists while constituting themselves a constant danger both to the wearer and to other persons. To meet these objections and to render the guard adjustable to legs of varying sizes, wit-hin limits,

straps 7L and L are fastened to the opposite pairs of the frame members a and b and may be secured together adjustably by a suitable buckle h2. The side frame members a and ZJ may thus be drawn toward each other until they lie in snug engagement with the leg, the bowed strips d and e yielding also until they are drawn into engagement with the leg. While these straps /L and It thus serve an important purpose in render'- ing the guards useful to many wearers, it is to be understood that the function of the bandage as a support is in nowise altered by the use of these straps and that the present invention could not be used under circumstances for which it is primarily de signed if the bandages were omitted and the straps relied upon as supports. The straps serve as bracing members and cooperate with the bowed strip-s to support the leg and they serve as adjusting means for the sti frames but they do not, and cannot, serve as sole supports therefor.

It will be observed that in the construction employed the frame is composed of strips which do not add materially to the weight of the elastic bandages, permits free flexing of the knee and forms with the elastic bandages a unitary structure which may be readily placed on the leg or removed therefrom and in nowise impairs the free movement of the wearer while it p-rotects the knee against injury.

Modifications in the construction of this frame and the means for connecting the same to the elastic bandages may be devised by those skilled in the art, but such modifications are to be deemed within the spirit of bandages adapted to encompass theV legabove and below the lmee respectively,

'frames supported by the elastic bandages and pivotally connected at the-sides of the leg,

and pads carried by the frames in front of the leg.

3. A knee-guard comprising two elastic bandages adap-ted to encompass the leg abo-ve and below the knee respectively and frames supported by the elastic bandages and consisting of frame membersv disposed at the sides ot the leg and pivotally connected and bowed strips secured tothe side frame members and extending across the Vfront of the leg.

fl. A knee-guard comprising two elastic bandages adapted to encompass the leg above and below the knee respectively and frames sup-ported by the elastic bandages and consistino of iframe-members disposed at the sides ofthe leg and pivotally connected and bowed strips secured to the side frame members and extending diagonally across the front of the leg and crossing each other.

5. A knee-guard comprising two elastic bandages adapted to encompass the leg above and below the knee respectively and frames supported by the elastic bandages and consisting of frame members disposed at the sides of the leg and pivotally connected and bowed strips secured to the side frame members and extending diagonally across the front of the leg and crossing each other, and pads secured to said bowed frame members in front of the leg and disposed over Vthe point of intersection of said bowed members.

6. A knee-guard comprising frame members disposed at the sides of the leg and pivotally connected, bowed strips secured to the side frame members and extending across the front of the leg, and pliable means adapted to encompass the leg above and below the knee respectively and to support said frames.

7. A knee-guard comprising two elasticl bandages adapted to encompass the leg above and below the knee respectively, frames sup-ported by ythe elastic bandages sind consistin` of frame members disposed engagement with the leg throughout their at the sides of the leg and pivotally connectlength. 10 ed and bowed strips secured to the side This specification signed -and witnessed frame members and extending across the this 15th day of October A. D. 1913.

front of the leg and ooperating straps cer- HENRY RIDGEWAY HART. ried by the side frame members and adapt- Signed in the presence ofed tobe secured adjustably about the rear JAMES RICHARDS,

of the leg to draw the bowed strips in snug IVOR LEWIS.

Copie: o! this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of latent,

, Washington, D. C. 

